Amidst efforts of health reforms, the Gombe State House of Assembly on Monday pledged commitment towards realisation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), in the state.
Hon. Abubakar Luggerewo, Speaker of the house, made the pledge in Abuja, at a two-day capacity building with the theme: “Enhancing Salience and Capacity of Gombe State House of Assembly to Catalyse Gombe’s Progress towards UHC”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the training was organised by the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), and partners.
NAN also reports that LISDEL, conceived as an indigenous not-for-profit organisation, as part of its mission to support health systems strengthening efforts in Nigeria, is collaborating with the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage (LNUHC).
According to the organisers, the collaboration is aimed at enhancing the salience and capacities of key government stakeholders to effectively influence health system strengthening efforts towards achieving UHC in Nigeria.
“This intervention is part of the objectives of the “Strengthening Government Partnerships and Advocacy for PHC (Primary Health Care) (SPAG) Project” being implemented by LISDEL at the national and state levels.
“The event is targeted at key stakeholders in the legislature, to enhance the application of their roles and functions to ensure the expansion of health financial risks protection mechanisms to vulnerable populations in the country.
“It includes the following objectives: Review of progress of the legislative health agenda/work plan and priorities resolved to be achieved at the inception of the current Assembly; identify approaches to mitigate challenges; and to set new priorities based on the outcomes of the tracking process.
“Enhance the knowledge of clerks and health committee secretaries around broad health financing and UHC concepts, linked to existing reforms in Nigeria including the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF), and how their roles can strengthen their implementations.”
The lawmaker said that Gombe state had taken giant strides towards achieving UHC and its vision “to be a leading Nigerian state with prosperous and healthy citizens”.
“The state unanimously passed the anticipated State Health Insurance Scheme (SHIS) Bill, mandatory for all Gombe residents, the Gombe SHIS Bill creates the provision for an equity fund of one per cent of the state’s consolidated revenue fund to go to vulnerable populations,” he explained.
The Gombe speaker said the state was grateful for the opportunity offered the state through the capacity building by LISDEL and partners.
“I want to use this opportunity to inform our response persons that Gombe State, under the leadership of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya, is doing well in the health sector. Prior to now, we did not have a Hospital Management Board, but as of today we can boast of a structure that is now doing well.
“We will make use of this opportunity to improve on what we have,” he added.
Dr Francis Ukwuije, Health Economist, World Health Organisation (WHO), said WHO had continued to prioritise health to be known as the politics of every country.
Ukwuije said that the WHO was lending support to the Legislative Network for Universal Health Coverage and other African countries, to let the trans-functional change extend to other states.
“I hope these two days will have a lasting impression on all the legislators in the country.
“Learning from Ghana’s parliament, where it has a clear policy for health, this should be replicated in Nigeria.,” he advised.
Hon. Dr. Tanko Sununu, Chairman, House Committee on Healthcare Services, said that there was need for alignment between the National Assembly, the state house of Assembly, the local government and executives to revitalise Nigeria’s health sector.
Sununu commended the speakers from Gombe State House of Assembly, for staying behind to participate in the capacity development exercise after the All Progressives Congress (APC) Convention.
He stated that the National Assembly was partnering with LISDEL in several ways since it came on board as the 9th Assembly.
In her welcome address, Mrs Juliana Abude-Aribo, Executive Director, LISDEL, said that the objective of the capacity building was to deepen understanding of the legislature on health financing, UHC, and PHC objectives and policies.
Abude-Aribo said that it was to also enhance the understanding of legislative functions and enhance the application of these functions to ensure the expansion of health financial risk protection mechanisms to the target population.
She explained that the capacity building would also serve as a knowledge base for information gathering to develop implementable processes, tools, framework, strategic legislative health agenda and work plans, in the application of legislative functions towards strengthening health care.
The executive director stated that this would track progress of past commitments made by legislators to promote UHC and also articulate plans to implement pending commitments.
